What kind of tree am I describing?

[Ravenlost]

I was also thinking honey locust. We have several of these on our place. This is what the trunk looks like:

http://rds.yahoo.com/S=96062883/K=ho...Locust%201.JPG

[OD]

Prickly ash, also called tickle-tongue or toothache tree.
http://www.gwf.org/zanthoxylum.htm

[whiterock]

Don't know the name but bet the leaves have a strong smell when crushed.
My fence rows are full of them. Soft wood, easy to cut, when the limbs come down they can cut like a saw.

[caballoviejo]

Originally Posted by OD

Prickly ash, also called tickle-tongue or toothache tree.
http://www.gwf.org/zanthoxylum.htm

Zanthoxylum should have yellow or white-yellow wood.

[OD]

We have probably a hundred or more of these trees growing on our fence rows. Everybody around here calls them tickle-tongue trees. The wood is light on the outside with a dark red center & the whole tree has a lemony smell.
It is exactly like the description, except the red center in the wood. I wonder if it could be a local variation.

[debitaber]

Originally Posted by OD

We have probably a hundred or more of these trees growing on our fence rows. Everybody around here calls them tickle-tongue trees. The wood is light on the outside with a dark red center & the whole tree has a lemony smell.

Is the woood really hard?
We have a couple of trees with huge thorns on them. and the wood is very hard. the amish call them coffee bean trees, and a farmer [englister, non amish], called them iron wood trees. that is all we know about them , except my hubby needed to cut one down, iot was agout 8 inches around, and he went through 3 chain saw blads to do it. Then we put a piece of it in the wood stove, never did burn up, finally after a couple of months trying, we took it out, and opnly aa very small amount burned. :no: :no: :no:

[OD]

debitaber ,
That sounds like a black locust tree. We have a few of them, too, mainly because they are too much trouble to cut down. Some of the thorns are 6-8 inches long.

[jesducky]

Kentucky Coffee Tree (Gymnocladus dioicus), Black Locust (Robinia Psuedo-Acacia), Honey Locust (Gledistsia Triacanthos) and Ironwood (Ostrya virginiana) are all different species but easily confused for each other. Kentucky Coffee Tree, Black Locust and Honey Locust all have compound leaves (guess you'll have to wait til spring on that). Also, black locust thorns tend to be in pairs. I'm looking at one of my tree books and it says that Black Locust has "short, paired thorns" Ha! They've never see the mondo thorns on the black locust here in Ohio. I know someone who stepped on a black locust thorn and it went right through his boot! Ironwood has a simple leaf (similar to a birch tree). One sure way to ID ironwood (other than dulling a blade) is that the bark looks like gray muscles. Someone sure got that name right!!!

[Ravenlost]

jesducky...from your description of the thorns I guess we have Black Locust trees instead of Honey Locust.

[Torch]

THAT'S IT!! THAT'S IT!! It's a tickle tongue.

Thanks guys. My kids really like to climb our trees, needless to say they avoid these. :haha:

This is what the trunk looks like, http://davesgarden.com/pf/showimage/4918/

[Ravenlost]

Oh...that's much different from the Locust tree thorns. Glad you found a name for your trees!

[Cabin Fever]

Torch, looks like you found another reason why no one should ever consider moving to Texas.

[Torch]

Torch, looks like you found another reason why no one should ever consider moving to Texas.

HERETIC!!! :haha: btw, how's the weather there? 60 degrees and sunny here!

Actually it just further emphasizes that you should look before touching. I'm not joking; you can stand in one spot and look around and see all kinds of things that wouldn't be pleasent to touch. Poison Ivy, cactus, fire ants, snakes, and of course the Toothache Tree!

[jesducky]

Wow-that's a pretty intimidating plant, tho it's nice to learn and see something new everyday!

[sylvar]

Originally Posted by OD

We have probably a hundred or more of these trees growing on our fence rows. Everybody around here calls them tickle-tongue trees. The wood is light on the outside with a dark red center & the whole tree has a lemony smell.
It is exactly like the description, except the red center in the wood. I wonder if it could be a local variation.

OD! You are awesome! Somebody gave a piece of bark from one of those ten years ago. It really does make your mouth go numb. He called it a gray ash and I never could find it in any plant ID books. Do you know if anybody sells these? Probably not likely. I wonder if it would root from a cutting? Perhaps I could impose upon one of our fine Texas brethren to send me a switch.

Sylvar

[OD]

I'd be glad to send you one. I had no idea that they were such a useful plant, but I found this yesterday, & now I have a new respect for them.
http://www.botanical.com/botanical/mgmh/a/ashpr077.html

[NativeRose]

I grew up knowing these trees as "tickle tongue". Thanks OD I had no idea they had any medicinal value. They are quite a problem as they love fence rows and seem to appear overnight :haha:

[OD]

Originally Posted by NativeRose

They are quite a problem as they love fence rows and seem to appear overnight :haha:

:haha: I know what you mean...I always thought of them more as a bothersome weed than a useful plant. I guess we shouldn't judge a tree by it's thorns.

[NativeRose]

Another very invasive and pesky plant here in East Texas is the smilax briar. OD or anyone else do you know of any good :haha: use for it. It makes the worst woody root I have ever seen and is heck on the body when trying to go after cattle who have gone into brushy patches of this stuff. You almost have to wear a suit of armor when weeding it out.

[whiterock]

NativeRose
are you refering to what i call greenbriar?